LAHORE - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed the company concerned to complete the 900MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park project in Bahawalpur, positively by April 2016.
The prime minister said this while presiding over a high-level meeting held to review the progress on the implementation of the project. The prime minister ordered the authorities concerned to add the 900MW solar energy to the national grid by April next year.
The prime minister who was also briefed by the Chinese company on the progress of the project said that without meeting needs of energy, the problems of unemployment and others cannot be solved. The meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
Addressing the meeting, the prime minister said the government is employing all formal and informal means to produce energy. He said not only the federal government but also the provinces are taking initiatives to overcome the electricity crisis as soon as possible. The prime minister said Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park will begin to generate 50MW electricity by August 14 and another 300MW by December this year. The project will produce electricity to its capacity by April next year.
Representatives of Zonergy, the Chinese company working on QASPP, MD NTDC and officials from the Punjab government also participated in the meeting.
The prime minister was briefed that the project would start producing 50MW energy by August 14, 2015 300MW will be operationalised by December 31 this year.
Zonergy had earlier committed to complete the project by September 2016, but now, under the directions of the prime minister, its representative assured the PM that it would be completed by the first week of April 2016.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif held a meeting at Jati Umra, which was also attended by Home Minister Col (r) Shuja Khanzada. The meeting was briefed on the Kala Shah Kaku operation of the security forces, which resulted in the killing of three Al Qaeda operatives, including its head for Pakistan, and arrest of an injured. The terrorists had planned to hit the IB headquarters, but the forces’ timely operation thwarted their designs. The prime minister appreciated efficiency of the security forces on the occasion.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will leave for a two-day visit to Norway on the invitation of Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg. He will participate in the Oslo Summit on Education for Development on 7 July.
This will be the first official visit by a Pakistani leader to Norway in over a decade. During this visit, the prime minister will be addressing the Education Summit and interact with several world leaders. On return for Norway, the prime minister is due to leave for Russia on a four-day official visit. After one day stay at home on return from Moscow, the prime minister, along with other family members, will leave for Saudi Arabia where he would perform I’tikaf at Masjid-e-Nabwi.